1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for selecting from a plurality of channels transmitting media programs, and in particular to a system and method for adaptively generating an ordered schedule of channels based on viewer channel surfing habits.
2. Description of the Related Art
Systems for transmitting media programs to viewer are well known in the art. Such systems include direct broadcast satellite systems, cable systems, and terrestrial broadcast systems. There is a trend in such systems to offer greater and greater numbers of channels, especially in subscriber based systems. Currently, many such systems include 200 or more channels. As the number of channels increase, users are confronted with the need to navigate through a large number of channels. Channel guides for television are often complicated and difficult to navigate. They also are generally not configured to assist the user in selecting channels by quickly scanning through the available channels in a more or less sequential order (e.g. channel surfing). Channel guides are also of limited use in car audio systems and hand held devices, since such guides generally rely on a significant amount of visual information that cannot be easily digested by the user. Selecting channels in such systems require a simple, easy to use user interface.
What is needed is a simple, easy to use user interface that allows the user to scan a large number of channels and more quickly find a media program of interest. The present invention satisfies that need.